Children’s Literature

6 from the Cybils Shortlist

1 Comment / 2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Poetry, Young Adult /

3 Graphic Novels:

– Monster on the Hill — This is a middle grade book and I chuckled my way through the whole thing. VERY cute.
– Bad Machinery — I don’t know if I was tired or if I just plain didn’t like this one. It bored me.
– Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant — I love Delilah!

3 Poetry:

Follow Follow — Cute reverso poems. Very cute. I don’t think these are as good as those in Mirror Mirror, though. And unless you just love reverso poems you should skip this in favor of Mirror Mirror.
Forest Has a Song — Ho hum poems. Great illustrations.
Poems to Learn By Heart — Great compilation of poems. Really excellent. Nice intros to sections. Nice diversity of poetry. I’d buy this one for JMP.

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Penny Dreadful

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction /

I saw Penny Dreadful mentioned on a blog — actually, several blogs (don’t ask me which ones!) and decided I should read it. Then I decided I should read it during the #readathon because children’s fiction(?)/middle grade fiction(?) is quick and easy to read.

It totally was. It was also really cute. I mean really really cute. It’s not a new book, I’m sorry I overlooked it years ago when it was first published.

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Heaven Is Paved with Oreos

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction /

Sassymonkey pointed out that Heaven Is Paved with Oreos is a middle grade companion to the Dairy Queen series so I decided I should read it.

It was cute, though I find Sarah a little young to be starting high school — but then again, DJ wasn’t super wordly herself, was she? Maybe that’s a small town Wisconsin thing?

The fiasco in Rome was a little jarring but I liked it. I liked how Sarah handled it. I like the advice DJ gave her — and based on the timing, I can see DJ giving her that advice, at that moment. So it definitely worked for me. I suspect it will not be a good book if you haven’t read the Dairy Queen series. The lesbian storyline makes almost no sense there, without the Dairy Queen storyline to clear things up. Heck, Curtis probably makes no sense if you don’t have some awareness of his character to start with.

So — I liked it but can see why others might not. I still say Murdock should go back to the whole Princess Ben thing.

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The Boy on the Wooden Box

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Non-Fiction /

From the Cybils shortlist, The Boy on the Wooden Box is the story of Leon Leyson, one of the Jews on Schindler’s List. It was an ok book — not great but if you’re a middle school kid or even a high schooler who doesn’t know anything about Schindler, this would be a good easy book to dive into. Though it was more about Lesyon and his family than Schindler, of course.

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Emilie and the Hollow World

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Supposedly YA but reads like MG, Emilie and the Hollow World was… not great. Not horrible, put it down never speak to me of it again bad. Just not great.

I’m pretty sure I won’t spend any time on the sequel. Unless I’m just super desperate for something to read. Or, unless I hear that the sequel is better than this one (which never happens with a second book.)

Ho hum.

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Princess Labelmaker To the Recue

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Fiction /

Another great book, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue is NOT my favorite of the series. I didn’t think that could happen after I liked the last book so much. But it did — Rabbski came through and I liked the entries in the log book that were not so much about the evil Fun Time but about the kids working together and solving issues. I especially liked the kid (Kellen? Tommy?) who stood up for graphic novels. That was great.

Love, love, love.

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A Box of Gargoyles

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

A Box of Gargoyles is the secret to Cabinet of Earths — a quick fun read, though the beginning was a little sloggy. Maya talking to a pretend Maya (to try and give us background about what happened in Cabinet of Earths) was a little much. There are better ways to give background to those who are entering the story in part two.

I’m also not sure I like the way it ended. Did Maya just throw her unborn sister under the bus? Sort of? I dunno. It felt not quite right to me. Couldn’t she have chosen without chosen THAT WAY? Seemed a little over-wrought, to me.

I love the addition of Pauline and of course the gargoyle egg was wonderfully done. There should be more gargoyle eggs in stories…

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2 Graphic Novels

2014, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

Both of these are from the Cybils Shortlist — and both are good. One is exceptional.

First, Nathan Hale is back with the story of the Donner Dinner Party. Just like the other Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales — this is long, long, long. But I’m not sure how it could be much shorter because that’s a lot of story to tell via graphic novel. I particularly like the last pages — the list of people who died and how, the mythbusting at the end. I’m a fan of this series, in general, and this one was just as good as the others.

March — the first volume. This series is one nobody should miss. Congressman Lewis is telling his story, via graphic novel, and it’s one hell of a good story and a really great idea. I couldn’t put this first volume down and suspect the next two books in the trilogy will be just as good. Must read — for everyone.

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